The Laws of Heaven and Earth were the supreme power, the foundation upon which all things in the world existed. That foundation could never undergo any change in a short period of time — unless the end of days was at hand. Yet the other party had spoken with such conviction, and they didn't look like they were lying. He simply couldn't accept it.
"Hurry up, hurry up! What are you dawdling over there for?"
A sharp command suddenly echoed from within the cave. Yang Kai raised an eyebrow — there was actually someone else in here.
Upon hearing the urging, the man and woman hurried deeper into the cave. Yang Kai shot Zhu Qing a glance and quickly followed.
A faint glow flickered to life. Inside a stone chamber that was none too spacious, a middle-aged man stood with a grim expression, seemingly waiting for something.
"Steward Liao." The man who had led Yang Kai forward stepped up and cupped his fists in greeting, his manner respectful.
But Steward Liao didn't spare him so much as a glance. Instead, he stared with open curiosity at Yang Kai and Zhu Qing who had followed behind, exclaiming, "How come there are two extra people? Where did they come from? They look unfamiliar."
The man replied, "They seem to have drifted in from the outside. We happened to run into them, so we brought them along."
"From the outside?" Steward Liao clicked his tongue in amazement, scrutinizing the two strangers without restraint. When his gaze fell on Yang Kai, he showed no particular reaction. But when he saw Zhu Qing, his eyes lit up, a look of unmistakable interest crossing his face.
Zhu Qing was already a breathtaking beauty to begin with, and after several days of nourishment, she was at her most radiant — naturally, she appeared especially alluring.
Zhu Qing's expression remained cold. Though she was somewhat displeased at being stared at in such a manner, she held her temper. Yang Kai shifted his position in a flicker, stepping in front of her and blocking the man's gaze.
Steward Liao snorted coldly, his face darkening with displeasure. "Outsiders really don't know the rules." He looked up at the man and said, "Surely you don't also lack manners?"
The man hastened to say, "We are in Steward Liao's care."
Only then did Steward Liao's expression ease slightly. He beckoned to the couple.
The two immediately stepped forward. Steward Liao began murmuring incantations, channeling his own power. He formed his fingers into a sword shape and began pointing and tapping in the air before the man.
Yang Kai watched in surprise, for he could actually discern traces of something resembling witchcraft in the technique, which piqued his curiosity and made him observe all the more carefully.
Before long, a complex and intricate sigil materialized in the void. Steward Liao reached out and slapped it, sending the sigil directly into the man's body. It appeared to serve some other purpose rather than any attack, and the man merely swayed slightly before being perfectly fine.
When it came to the woman, the rarely seen hint of a smile appeared on Steward Liao's icy face. The woman, on the other hand, looked visibly nervous and cast a pleading glance toward her husband.
The man slowly shook his head, his gaze dropping downward.
Steward Liao repeated the same procedure, but this time his hands were far from well-behaved. As his finger-sword tapped through the air, it occasionally grazed the woman's body, sweeping across her full chest more than once, causing her slender frame to tremble.
The man acted as though he heard nothing, standing to the side with eyes fixed on his own nose in meditation.
Steward Liao, meanwhile, grew more and more pleased with himself, his movements growing increasingly brazen. The woman's expression grew darker and darker, yet she could only endure it forcibly.
Before long, the sigil was complete. Steward Liao, with a hint of reluctance, slapped the sigil into the woman's body and casually withdrew his hand. The woman's rigid posture finally relaxed, and she cast a aggrieved look at her husband.
Turning around, Steward Liao's face immediately turned cold as he addressed Yang Kai: "Since you've come from the outside, let me explain the rules here to you."
Yang Kai gazed at him with a smile. "Please do enlighten me."
Steward Liao said, "In a short while, the Laws of Heaven and Earth will undergo a shift. The entire Turning Wheel World will have no safe place except the Human Emperor City. So if you want to survive, you must go to the Human Emperor City. Understood?"
"Understood — off to the Human Emperor City!" Yang Kai replied with an expression of diligent acceptance.
Steward Liao continued, "And to reach the Human Emperor City, you must have the Human Emperor Seal applied by me. Only those who bear the Human Emperor Seal can use the teleportation formation to reach the Human Emperor City. So there is only one rule in this place — heaven and earth may be vast, but I am the greatest!"
Yang Kai let out an "oh," cupped his fists, and said, "Duly noted!"
Steward Liao swept his sleeve, clasped his hands behind his back, and barked, "Let me ask you — do you want to live, or do you want to die?"
Yang Kai smiled. "If there's a chance to live, naturally I'd prefer to live."
Steward Liao nodded. "A teachable one. Come here, let me apply the Human Emperor Seal to you."
Yang Kai stepped forward, but Steward Liao waved him away with a look of distaste. "The woman first. You stand aside."
Yang Kai frowned slightly but didn't insist. As he stepped back, he said, "Steward Liao, please be careful. My wife has something of a temper."
Steward Liao snorted coldly. "If you want to stay alive, you'd best know your place!"